Watercolor Palette~

These antique watercolor wells are filled, dried and ready

to join one of my overflowing palettes...

They may have come out of an old paint box...

I couldn't find much information on them.

I love the brushed-glass lip because it pulls my brush together!

So many colors... so little time!

I've been working on several new programs at the same time~

A fabric line with a very deep, rich color theme...

A mixed media line with a second color palette, much softer...

Adding to a third program that has a very pastel base.

Instead of washing off one palette to switch & work on 

a different project I add little wells of the missing colors~

Interchangeable & very easy to clean!

These little pieces are also nice 

when there are not enough wells available in a palette.

One palette is filled with Winsor & Newton (My favorite!)

One is filled with Holbein

Some have a mix~ adding in a few Grumbacher & Da Vinci

with other less known paint lines with amazing colors!

Plates from a child's vintage play-set always come in handy~

Some artists add to their palettes with antique salts!

Wee little wells, fountains... pools of raw color.

When my new designs are published I will share with you!

Thank you for your notes asking for a peek!

For now the new work has to stay secret... protected~

Especially with the wonderful world of Pinterest!

I enjoy pinning pictures to my boards/collections... 

Gosh it's fun!

Pinterest is a colorful, digital magazine to me.

The perfect way to escape the winter browns and

peek into others unique interests!

I will NOT use the images that I have pinned as

source of reference material for my work...

Most of the photographs added to the mix are from blogs etc.

They belong to somebody.

Most blogs & photographs are copyright protected.

Hope your day is sunny & filled with creative!

Antique Chalkboard Messages...

Chalkboards flower our home...

A few here~

Another there...

I don't fuss with a lot of seasonal decorations...

But these treasures ALWAYS celebrate special days!

Guess what is in that sweet silver box?

Joy!

Another batch of tips~

No rust... just a little aged ink that soaked off...

I took a break from deadlines and spent a day

visiting our local~ favorite antique malls...

I'm so much more productive when I step away for a bit.

I'm glad I peeked inside!

Hope your weekend is filled with sweet surprises!

Vintage Style Quilt Labels...

Valentines... Hearts... Love...

February is just around the corner~

These little friends of mine are wishing you loads of love...

Bringing little flowers to remind us that Spring is just around the corner...

Momma & Pop birds will begin nest building soon...

For all those fuzzy babies we love to peek at!

All with a sweet little message~

... a message of love to share!

Hope your day is filled with love, Sweet Friends!

Antique & Vintage Pen Tips...

My most favorite pair of shoes~

They don't make that style anymore!

My favorite tea~

It wasn't selling well... so they discontinued it!

Through the years the list of favorites slowly disappear...

I find new needfuls & treasures that keep me content!

Except.......

When I find vintage & antique pen tips...

I try to stockpile them!

Perhaps a little hoarding when it comes to tips...

There is something about the way they write~

The new pieces work just fine...

The used & new "old" ones~ are amazing!

Hope your day is amazing, too~

January Whites...

We have had a burst of winter!

I have had a burst of catching up!

This past fall was filled with days of mourning,

out of town commitments and falling behind...

I'm beginning to catch up on promised treasures...

These studio pals are on their way home today!

They're traveling to a much warmer home~

I'm a bit jealous!

I've been enjoying time in my studio.

Still catching up on licensing deadlines...

Winter songbirds come near the windows~

I think they enjoy my movie & music selections!

More winter white linens will be in my Etsy store~

Just a few more special orders to finish for special friends.

Wishing you a creative & joy-filled day~

Needle Felted Scottie Dog...

This wool Scottie pup belongs to our sweet Alaina!

One of my Christmas Eve gifts to her~

She has more photographs on her blog Avery Hill!

Alaina has a way of picking out the perfect button eyes...

Needle felted from white/natural wool.

Once I get my basic shape close to perfect~

I add thin layers of professional dyed wool colors!

Raw/plain wool is much less expensive than colored wool.

When I make larger pieces I always start with a plain base. 

Puppy peeking out the window~

LOVE her choice for eyes!

Can't wait to share more art adventures of this little pup~

He's more than a little felted friend!!

Hope your day is cozy and creative~

Studio Storage Favorites...

In keeping with my promise to share little tidbits of my studio...

and with the missing chill of the wintry "Jack-Frost" himself...

One of my favorite stack-able storage solutions!

~Wear-Ever aluminum Jack-Frosters~ 

These vintage containers are not as air tight as my plastic trays...

Natural treasures that I find on my walks are saved here.

The contents dry & stay preserved without becoming musty.

Drift wood and cones from Lake Ontario...

This piece of drift wood looks like a duck head!

I think vintage stamps are fun!

They're fragile... so they stay safe inside my frosters~

Jack Frost will be nipping at our nose, eventually...

I miss watching our pup dance in the deep snow...

But I'm not complaining :)

Wishing you joy!

Feathered Friends with Wishes...

Some of my most favorite feathered friends here to wish you

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012!

I have been sketching while my watercolor paints dry...

Trying to keep little treasures in my Etsy store~

Cardinals have been perching in the Honeysuckle bush

beside my studio window~

Just begging to have their portraits sketched!

They find a perfect spot and fluff-up~

In my mind, there is always a need to dress them~

In our travels to family Christmas celebrations we passed

by Montezuma Wildlife Refuge where we saw hundreds of 

Canada Geese resting on thin ice, shallow waters and swamp...

Shiver to the bones!

Would love to dress them cozy warm~

Hope your New Year is filled with supportive dear ones~

Hope your New Year is filled with friends, family & the like~

Times shared & wonderful new memories made!

Wishing you joy and happiness throughout!

Made with Love...

Handmade Christmas gifts have all been given~

Now I can share a peek with you!

Had these light weight wooden boxes.

Knew they would come in handy someday...

Alaina and I took a black Friday road trip!

With so many stores opening in the wee hours~

We decided to skip our 5am dash for treasures and go sight seeing!

We headed toward Ithaca, New York.

Just outside of Ithaca there is a sweet town called Trumansburgh.

Little shops, the best NY style pizza and a candy store.

"Life's So Sweet" had these adorable finger puppets!

We have three great-nephews and one great-niece.

There must have been 30 different choices!

We picked out animals & birds that best fit each child...

I drew the animal friends on each box to match...

That way when play was finished there wasn't any mix-up

of who belonged to which puppet friend!

I used a medium tip Sharpie pen for a coloring book style outline...

Colored in the illustrations with colored pencils...

Dated and signed the back...

They liked the little blankets and "put them to bed!"

I added felt to the bottom to protect furniture surfaces~

Must admit...

I named them all while I was sketching and removing tags!

I wonder what names the little ones will come up with...

It's so fun to play pretend!